(COMPLETE) Sanders Sides - Ghosts (analogical book)

Chapter 6 - The DeMorts

Janus uses they/them pronouns this chapter because they're valid - tell me if I make any mistakes and I'll correct it.

Words: 2091 Published: 19/02/21

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Janus stretched, walking out of their English classroom and into the corridor, clutching their bathroom pass to their chest. They didn't need to use the bathroom, just needed a break. There was only so much Shakespeare references a person can take in an hour. Why was that random British playwright so influential? Janus didn't know – and Janus didn't care. All they cared about right now was entering the unisex bathroom and turning on their phone to listen to some music in a peaceful silence.

They entered the bathroom, washing their hands to listen out for any witnesses to them skipping class. There was no-one luckily. The silence let Janus sigh, bringing out their earphones and sitting next to the sink – turning on Spotify and fully relaxing. The whole world disappeared around them and became the world of artistic lyrics and metaphors. They wanted to keep their eyes open to check if anyone walked in but their eyes were also too exhausted to stay open for this relaxing time.

That was until they heard a knock right beside his head, opening their eyes and instinctively leaning their head forward in case they were the cause of that noise. They were surprised though. "Oh, hey L." Janus laughed watching the small light blue heart float around them and knock itself against the wall again. "You won't tell on me for skipping will you?" Janus joked, mainly to themselves as they didn't actually expect the light to respond.

"Of course not kiddo! Just remember you fully live through high school once!"

Janus leaped off the sink counters and stepped back from their light friend. "The fuck?" They almost screamed, putting a hand in front of their head to protect themselves. The light didn't speak again and did the beckoning giggle noise the heart usually does. They raised an eyebrow. "You talk?" Janus said only in a whisper, looking over their shoulder to make sure they were again alone in the bathroom – which they were.

"Yeah!" Then, before Janus could even process the voice, a cloud appeared out of nowhere and began to gather in front of them. The cloud first gathered to show a pair of wide round glasses hiding large eyes, freckles covering the entirety of this new face and body, the cloud wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts. The cloud became a person, but still stayed black and white. The person was smiling wide not particularly caring that Janus was scared out of their skin. "And you're Janus Veja right? It's great to finally actually meet you!"

"Uh... You too I guess." Janus awkwardly laughed, reaching out their hand as an instinct. At this point encountering ghosts was considered a slightly normal past-time for them. The person reached his hand forward and grabbed the hand, but the hand flew through Janus' quickly giving them a brief, cold shock. "So you're L the ghost?"

"Well, yes, but also no." The ghost chirped, looking to the side for a moment. He flicked his hand, starting the light blue heart to glow and move again from side to side. "I cause this light – but there's two other ghosts that cause their own lights."

Janus had to double take for a minute to check they heard that right. Three ghosts – in their high school? There was only never rumour of one – the ghost. And now, as they thought they're talking to the one – which made them feel insane anyway – there was apparently three. "What are their names?" Janus said carefully and gently, wondering if they were going to overstep the boundary and the ghost would disappear again.

"Hm, well I'm Patton Aristotle, then there's Logan Aristotle and Roman DeMort." Patton smiled, sitting on the sink with a wide smile and kicking his legs back and forth. Janus furrowed their eyebrows again, gathering that the surname DeMort seemed weirdly familiar.